The National Free Press - World Edition: Free Speech, Free Press and Human Rights

Jennett Meriden Russell has consistently won awards for local news coverage, photography and cartooning since beginning her career in newspaper journalism in 2001. A freelance journalist and photographer with The Press of Manorville and the Moriches, Miss Russell won six New York State Press Association Better Newspaper awards last year alone, including three first place standings for best feature article I, best feature photo I, and best art photo I.

Also a cartoonist, her weekly edition “The Bent Edge” took first place in 2005 for best editorial cartoon in the National Press Association Awards. Her cartoon also took first place in the New York State Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest for 2002. Judges noted that her cartoons were appropriate for such prestigious magazines as the New Yorker Magazine and the Christian Science Monitor.

Born in Connecticut in 1960, the Coram, New York resident was a former disc jockey, news reporter, and radio commercial producer for various Long Island radio stations. She began working as an on air personality at WALK FM, a 50,000 watt station in Patchogue, New York at the age of 16. Her first cartoon ran in the Long Island Traveler/Mattituck Watchman when she was 13.

A singer/songwriter/guitarist she has also performed in both New York and Chicago, including The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, and The Chicago Crime Commission’s annual benefit dinner. She has also worked as a model, and actor, performing on local stages and television commercials. She is also a pilot currently working on her commercial ratings. You can visit her website The Bent Edge for more about Jennett!